Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1887-08-03

d
that art; but nobody could swim in the
sand. Given pond and young lady
falling into it, and he would have
plunged In the water with his boots on
and drawn her out, without thinking
anything OF the occurrence. But here
they We're, two miles from the picnic
| ground in place where it was not
likely any help could reach them, with
the ralndropS already beginning to fall
and the consciousness that In an hour
or two The bed of the bayou might be
| filled with the roaring, dashing torrent
of tawny water
lie lay on his breast with both arms
extended, hallooing with all his might.
holding TO Fanny's wrists with the
grip of vice. y peal of thunder
reverberated through the woods and the
| lightning dIffused uneaIthly luminous
ness about the bayou.
Let me CO." cred Fanny, "and get
some rails. 1 have heard that Is the
only way to save people. Put them all
about me like platform.
For Gods sake II sS Fanny; don't
let go of NV hand! How can L leave
you IN this terrible place for an instant?
No, shall not leave YOU"
But you must get the rails said
the beautiful girl, ''Or l am lost.''
She was calm for one in her situa.
tiOn. She had heard that one way of
extricatioa was by flInging the body
from side to side; but this action had
only accelerated her descent.
Mr.. Nichols, | command you to get
rails, branches of trees, anything to
put under my armsI Do you want to
see me disappear? Something must be
done and 1t once" And Fanny began
TO sob.
Nichols was the most perplexed man
in tae world. During the whole terri
be time he could not help saying TO
hllaset, If l can only get her out,
what triumph il would be! She must
love me then" But lie did not get her
out aud lie could not. His attitude
WAS painful. grO,esque- The sand was
yielding 10 the pressure OF his elbows
as he braced himself up to hold his fair
companion. lie felt that he must
shift his position, or he would be sucked
down head foremost, down, down, even
to Miss Chenard's feet, in the relent-
less sand. Rather than both perish, IT
was better 10 make an effort to get the
rails; but where could rails be found in
that wild vicinity?"
"Do you think you can keep up while
run 70 the woods and get branches
and rails?''
go at once" cried Fanny. "You
must do something. We are both going
| dOwn!'
RenwIck Nichols, with a superhuman
wrench, succeeded In getting on firmer
/ ground, and sprang TO the precipitous
| bank OF the bayou. There was dense
canebrake t.ere. lie took out his
knife and began cutting wildly at the
| slender canes.
They won't do" moaueI Fanny,
| from her sandy grave.
1t began TO rain in torrents. Nichols
/ was almost beside himself.
"Oh. my Godln Inos.nSd Er------
Renwick shouted n despairing shout.
/ He tried TO fiing himself INTO the cane
| brake 10 get up the bank. He ran
| wildly along the edge 70 find an open
. ing.
/ Fanny WAS still sinking, sinking.
My God, Stanwood, is this your"
/ cried Renwlck Nichols, as with clothes
/ torn to shreds. dripping with water.
/ covered with sand, his face scratched
with briars, he emerged from the cane
/ brake at the top of the bayou, and met
| Stauwood and Irene running, painting
TO the fatal spot.
Where is Fanny, oh, Mr.. Nichols,
where is Fanny?" cried Irene, who,
after her hasty trip through the woods
In the rain, looked like a drenched
angel strayed out Of paradise.
Down there in the quickstend!'
cried Nichols, as he seized Stanwood
by the arm, and they all three rushed
into the tortuous passage made by
I Nichols in his painful ascent. Stan
D nd NxiF
pressed lips broke through every obsta-
Gle, and was in u moment on the sand
Is near to Fanny as he could get. He
took in the situation at a glance. HIS
sharp eye detected IN the fading light
some old drlftwooI lodged on the side
of the bayou. They were heavy limbs
of trees and logs, half buried In the
canes
"Comev' he shouted to Nichols, in !
FIRM tone, as he cautioned the shrlekinG
Irene against going in the vicinity OF
her sister
BE patient, Miss Fanny, and it will
be all right, - lie said, as he and Nichol:
rolled the large trunk of fallen tres
towards her. Quickly and silently
Stanwood placed brush and timber or
each side of the partly buried girl, unit
platform of considerable height ha9
been raised. Then he and Nichol:
stepped upon It, and taking Fanny
. under her shoulders. working her back
ward and forward as one would
, stake, and the girl soon found hersel
, gradually DIR own from out her horrlbi'
T prison. In half an hour, and Just a
the timber supports they had erecteC
were disappearing, they drew Fam.
out and bore her exhausted, almos
!.inting, to the woods above, Irene fol
lowing. wrInging her hands and cTyin {
. .Oh. she's dead! She's deadl'
. There's nothing to do save TO carr
) her TO the picnic ground" said Stan
wood. They've all gone home, o
% course, forgetting Us, IN their hurry I
! avoid the rain"
: II can walk" said Fanny, feebly
: | She looked like a ruined Venus d
! MedicI, and very evidently needed re:
; toratIon, Irene hung about her nee
weeping for very Joy. Renwick Nichol
Thought they had better move on. )
! Stanwood supported Fanny on his arr
and Nichols took charge or Irene, an
: the wet and bedraggled processio
Z began a forward movement for relief
IL was dark and raining in torrents
and neither of the gentlemen had
\ compass or knew the bearings. The
!. rroped along, however, and there wa
= a prodigious amount of talking IN whI
;, pered tones; talking which WAS engei
= dered by the rather romantic surroun'
.ngs and the events of the day, an
u, t,ikiny which was almost as pleasin
= fo them IS if they were in party DIRE
I and promenading brilliant parlors
mooniit galleries and garden walks.
= Fanny, my child, thank God ye
- xere not by yourselfl That is Il
I most dangerous place on Sandy bayo
!, God bless you, gentleman, for sayir
: ny precious child"
: Both gentlemen remained at Concoi
!, lace that night and the next da